Biological Macromolecules (College Board AP® Biology): Exam Questions

Carbohydrates are essential macromolecules that provide energy and structural support in living organisms.

Describe how complex carbohydrates are formed from smaller units.

Starch and glycogen are storage molecules in plants and animals respectively. Hydrolysis of covalent bonds at the terminal ends of the branches releases individual molecules of glucose. A key feature of glycogen is that it has a more branched structure than starch.

Explain how this structural difference supports the higher metabolic requirements of animals.

Identify the type of reaction that forms a bond between monomers.

Cellulose is an example of a structural carbohydrate, present in the cell walls of plant cells.

Predict what would happen to a plant if it could not produce cellulose.